Multicolor printing press



NOV. p F COX MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 16, 1934 Nov. 27, 1934.

COX

MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRES 5 Filed Jan. 16, 1934 glwmntoz a Not 4 w -4 NOV. 27, 1934. F, c X 982,574

' MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed Jan. 16, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 NOV. 27, 1934. E ox 1,982,574

MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRES S Filed Jan. 16, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 27, 1934 1,982,574 MUIIIIOOLOR PRINTING PRESS Paul F. Cox, Chicago, Ill. Application January 16, 1934, Serial No. 706,876 25 Claims. (Cl. 101136) This invention is a novel traveling cylinder sheet printing press, especially designed and adapted for printing sheets in multi-colors.

The machine shown in the accompanying 6 drawings has a plurality of impression cylinders moving in an orbital path, a plurality of beds arranged to coact with the cylinders in the orbital movement of the latter, means for feeding sheets to and delivering them from each impression cylinder during each orbital movement of the latter, and a plurality 'of inking mechanisms one for each printing surface whereby ink is supplied to each printing surface for and during each orbital movement of the cylinders.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention in a press whereby sheets may be printed in three colors on one side during each orbital movement of the cylinders, such press being provided with duplicate impression cylinders arranged diametrically opposite each other and duplicate sets of form inking rollers arranged'diametrically opposite each other, whereby two sheets may be printed in multi-color during each complete rotation of the crossheads carrying the cylinders.

I will describe the machine shown in said drawings to enable others skilled in the art to adapt and use the 0 broader aspects is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown in said drawings.

In said drawings: 4

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken of a complete printing press. p

Fig. 2 is a vertical detail sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the press with some parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing a cylinder in position to take a sheet from the feeding devices. I

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a cylinder in position to deliver the sheet to the delivering devices.

Fig. 6 is a detail the printing beds.

transverse sectional view of Fig. 7 is a detail of the gripper tripping devices shown in Fig. 5.

The operative parts of the press are mounted in suitable framing. The press shown has a feed board 1 from which the sheets can be fed by hand or mechanically to a transfer reel by which they are delivered to the impression cylinders 35 as they pass the said reel. The press shown has two impression cylinders 35 journaled same; but the invention in its.

at diametrically opposite ends of rotatable crossheads 33 and 34 mounted upon a main supporting shaft 32 by which the cylinders are moved in an orbital path.

During each half revolution of the crossheads a cylinder will be moved from' the sheet feeding devices 3 to the sheet vice versa) and in delivering devices 61, (and such movement the sheet will be successively presented by the cylinder to the printing surfaces on the three type beds 19, 19a, 5

and 19b disposed below the orbital path of the shown these type beds the shaft 32 and adjacent cylinders. In the machine are flat and the printing surfaces thereon will be flat; but the beds and printing surfaces may impression cylinders during each rotation of ODS be curved if desired. The

rate alternately, and

the crossheads two sheets may be printed in multi-color. 3

Mounted on the crossheads 33-34 in advance of each impression cylinder 35 are sets of form inking rollers 52, 52a tively adapted to ink and 19b. The sets of tively receive ink from during each rotation fountain may supply press is adapted to print and the 52b which are respecforms on beds 19, 19a

form inking rollers respecfountains 56, 56a and 56b of the crossheads. Each a different color, and,

the three colors upon the sheet on each impression cylinder as it moves from the feed to the vided whereby each delivery. Means are proset of inking rollers only contacts with the form on the related bed; and

mechanism is mow the ink on the form forms.

'The press shown embodies various minor details of construction as f ed for properly distributing rollers before they ink the novel ollows:

The feed devices Sheets are fed on feed board 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) against a stop 2 and are picked up by the grippers of the feed reel, which as shown comprises four disks 3 mounted on is moved step by step by anism 4-5 stopping at a a shaft 6, which shaft a Geneva stop mechpoint where the sheet will be picked up by printing cylinder. The Geneva member 4 is afiixed to shaft 6, and has four radial grooves; and fixed on a shaft 7 (arran frame 31) and has two 0 its driving member 5 is ged inside of .the side pposite arms provided with studs 8 adapted to engage the slots in member 4 to turn the latter;

on shaft 7 is a double Geneva segment 4a adapted to lock member 4 during the intervals between engagements of studs 8 therewith. A spro 7 and driven by a chain cket 9 is fixed to shaft 9a from a gear 9b on a 'stud 9c meshing with a pinion 911 on shaft 32. I Shaft 7 is geared to rotate one to one with the crosshead 34 and disks 3 will rotate one fourth a revolution and feed a sheet to a cylinder at each one-half revolution of the crossheads.

' The disks 3 have four sets of grippers, spaced 90 apart, for picking up sheets from feed board. Each set of grippers includes a shaft 10 extending through the disks and having a gripper 11 at each disk. The grippers are kept closed by a torsion spring 12 on each shaft. On one end of shaft 10 is an operating lever 13 for opening the grippers. To pick up a sheet from the feed board the operating lever 13 is caused to open the grip pers by contacting with a stud 14 fixed to an adjacent part of the frame. As thefeed reel starts to rotate lever 13 is released allowing the grippers to pick up a sheet, and when the reel comes to rest the sheet is in position to be taken by the grippers on an impression cylinder 35. When an impression cylinder comes to the point of contact with the feed reel, the grippers on disks 3 are opened by aroller 15(Figs. 1 and 4) 'on the .end of crosshead,which comes into contact with and moves a lever 16 fixed to shaft 17, causing lever 18 (which is also fixed to shaft 1'7) to operate gripper shaft 10 opening grippers and releasing sheet to the impression cylinder.

The type bed and inking frame faces: And mounted above the type bed is an approximately semi-circular inking frame 20 fitted onto the type bed.

On the type bed are two bearer bars 21 (Fig. 2) for the impression cylinders. These bearers are type high and continue completely around the interior of the bed and inking frame. On the left hand side (Fig. 2) is a rack 22 meshing with the cylinder gears to cause cylinders to rotate. This rack consists of three straight sections 22 and segments 23-24 connecting them, and the end sections 22 connect with the ends of a semi-cylindrical segment 25 fixed in the inking frame.

The inking frame has an interior surface which acts as an ink plate to aid in grinding up ink. The inking 'framealso carries the feed shaft 6 and delivery shaft '77 and the ink fountains 56, 56a, 56b.

As shown each set of ink rollers 36 consist of three rollers, two composition form rollers toward the outside and a vibrator roller inside and in contact with the form rollers. The rollers are carried in adjustable bearings which are carried in the carriages 51 mounted in sliding bearings in the crosshead by studs which allow the carriage to tilt. At .each end of each form roller is a gudgeon 53 which allows the roller to contact only in its proper places. The

vibrator roller 54 is carried in carriages 51 and is movable longitudinally to help cut up ink on form rollers. The movement longitudinally is controlled by a screw thread cut into the journal of roller. This screw thread is a right hand and a left hand thread and by means of a guide fixed to carriage, causes the roller to move back and forth as it rotates.

- Each ink fountain 56 (Fig. 1) is operated by a ratchet 5'7 and a. lever 58 which is connected to bar '91 actuated by the cam 37 on crosshead. Said bar has a roller 59 to contact the cam, and

is held in position by a stud in left hand frame 31.

Along the outside of both bed and frame are the bearer bars 26 for the gudgeons 53 of the ink rollers, these bars 26 are in general connected and constructed similarly to the cylinder bearers and the gear rack; but bars 26 are divided transversely into three sections (one section for each set of ink rollers) beside each printing surface only one section of the bars 26 is of same height as the type surface, thereby allowing only one set of inking rollers to supply ink to that particular surface, the other two adjacent sections of the bars being above type height cause other sets of ink rollers to pass without inking such surface. At the points of feed and delivery the bars are formed to raise all three sets of rollers to prevent ink smutting the paper on feed or delivery disks.

Adjacent each ink fountain one section of bars 26 is 'depressed to allow each set of rollers to contact only with its related ink supply. After passing the fountains the bars 26 are formed to permit each set-of rollers to contact a related .part,

Each impression cylinder 35 has a clamp 38 for the tympan and a reel rod 39 fordrawing the tympan tight.

The sheet to be printed will be picked up by the cylinder grippers 40 at the point of contact with the feed disks 3 and carried over and presented to the three printing surfaces, and then released at point of contact with delivery disks 61. The grippers 40 aregfixed on a shaft 41 which is operated by .a lever42. Thru the right hand journal of the impression cylinder extends the shaft 43 with cam lever 44 on outside and operating lever 45 on inside. The cam lever 44 is operated at the point of feed by a cam 46 and at the point .of delivery by cam 47 both fixed to inside of frame 30. p I

The impression cylinders ,are carried in journals 48 movable in a radial direction and pressed outwardly by an adjustable spring 491 Aifixed to the left hand side of each cylinder 35 is a gear 92 which engages an orbital rack formed of sections 22, 23, 24, 2 5 fastened to the type bed and ink frame. I

Thedelivery and stacker The delivery reel and mechanism for driving the disks 61 are constructed like the feed reel and its actuating mechanism having Geneva members 4.1:, 4am, actuating lever 51: and pins 82: mounted on a shaft 71 driven by sprocket 9x and chain 9a:c

The stacker 66 is supported on each side by a.

roller chain with a counter weight 67 and guided by bars 68. The chains are carried over sprockets means for delivering the sheets from the cylinders whereby the impression may 69 fixed to shaft '70. On right hand end of shaft is a worm gear 71 in contact with a worm 72 on shaft 73, at the other end of which is a ratchet '74 and lever 75 which is operated by a connection 76 fastened in an eccentric position on end of shaft 77. The rotation of shaft '77 causes the stacker board to lower, in order to take care of the pile of delivered sheets.

The impression throwofi To prevent the impression cylinders from contacting the printing surfaces when not carrying a sheet, the operator can depress a pedal 78 which rocks a shaft '79 upon which are fixed bell crank levers 80 and similar levers 83 are pivoted on studs on the frame. Attached to these levers are rails 81 which, when the levers are properly rocked, are moved up parallel with and above the printing surfaces into position to be engaged by the cylinder bearers 82 and prevent the cylinders contacting with the printing surfaces.

Operation The sheets on feed board 1 are fed up to stop 2 and successively taken by the feed disks 3 and delivered to a cylinder 35 as it passes said disks. The sheets are presented by the cylinder successively to the type forms on the beds (19, 19a and 19b), each form being inked in advance of the cylinder by its related set of inking mechanism (52, 52a and 52b). The printed sheet is then delivered to the delivery disks, and piled upon the stacker 66. The cylinders can be thrown off impression at any time desired by depressing the lever 78.

Preferably I. employ duplicate impression cylinders and sets of inking mechanism in the machine, but in some cases only one cylinder and set of inking mechanism might be provided but a plurality of impression cylinders and inking mechanisms are preferred in order to enhance the capacity of the press,

I claim:

1. A printing press having a type bed, and a plurality of orbitally moving impression cylinders cooperating with the type bed.

2. In a printing press, a type bed, a plurality of orbitally moving impression cylinders cooperating with the type bed, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders in advance of the type bed, and

after passing the type bed.

3. In a printing press, a type bed, a plurality of orbitally moving impression cylinders cooperating with the type bed, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders in advance of the type bed and means for delivering the sheets from the cylinders after passing the type bed, and means moving with the cylinders for inking the printing surface ,on the bed.

4. In a printing press, a. type bed carrying a plurality of successive fiat printing surfaces, and a plurality of orbitally moving impression cylinders successively cooperating with the flat printing surfaces during their orbital movement.-

5. In a printing press, a type bed carrying a plurality of successive printing surfaces, and diametrically opposed orbitally moving impression cylinders successively cooperating with the printing surfaces during their orbital movement.

6. In mechanism as set forth in claim 5, means be thrown off.

7. In a printing press, a type bed carrying a plurality of successive printing surfaces, at plurality of orbitally moving impression cylinders successively cooperating with the printing surfaces during their orbital movement, inking de-.

faces during their orbital movement, means moving with the cylinders for individually inking the printing surfaces on the bed, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders in advance of the type bed and means for delivering the sheets from the cylinders after they pass the type bed.

9. In a printing press having a type bed, rotatable crossheads, and a plurality of impression cylinders mounted in the crossheads adapted to cooperate with the type bed as they are orbitally rotated by the crossheads.

10. In a printing press having a type bed, rotatable cro'ssheads, a plurality of impression cylinders mounted in the crossheads and adapted to cooperate with the type bed as they are orbitally rotated by the crossheads, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders in advance of the type bed, and means for delivering sheets from the cylinders after they have passed the type bed.

11. In a printing press having a type bed, rotatable crossheads, an impression cylinder mounted in the crossheads and adapted to cooperate with the type bed as it is orbitally rotated by the crossheads, inking rollers mounted on the crosshead in advance of the cylinder, an ink supply adjacent and exterior to the path of the cylinder, and means for distributing the ink to the form rollers between the ink and the first type bed.

12. In a printing press having a type bed, rotatable crossheads, an impression cylinder mounted in'the crossheads and adapted to cooperate with the type bed as it is orbitally rotated by the cross- 5 mately semi-circular type bed, rotatable cross-.

heads mounted adjacent the type bed, opposite cylinders carried by the crossheads adapted to alternately contact with forms on the bed as the crossheads rotate, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders at one end of the bed, and means for delivering sheets from the cylinders at the other end of the bed.

14. In combination with mechanism as set forth in claim 13, an ink supply adjacent thepath of the cylinder, an ink. distributing member above the bed and between the ink supply and the feed, and form inking rollers carried by the crossheads adapted to distribute ink on the said distributing member.

15. In a printing press having an approxi. mately semi-circular type bed, rotatable crossheads mounted above the type bed, a plurality of cylinders carried by the crossheads adapted to successively contact with forms on the bed as the crossheads rotate, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders at one end of the bed, and means for delivering sheets from the cylinders at the opposite endof the bed, inking devices, and means mounted on the crosshead in advance of the cyl- 1 "8'6 adapted to alternately contact with the bed and opposite whereby each inking device supplies ink to only the related form on the bed.

16. In a printing press having an approximately'semi-circular type bed, rotatable crossheads mounted above the type bed, a plurality of cylinders carried by the crossheads adapted to successively contact with forms on the bed as the crossheads rotate, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders at one end of .the bed, and means for delivering sheets from the cylinders at the I end of the bed, a plurality of inking supplies adjacent the paths of the cylinders, an ink distributing member above the bed and between the ink supplies and the feed, and form inking rollers carried by the crossheads adapted to distribute ink on thesaid member before applying ink'to the forms. 1

17. In a printing press having a type bed, an orbitally moving impression cylinder cooperating with the type bed, levers adjacent the type bed, and bars carried by said levers adapted in one position to throw off impression.

18. In a printingpress having a type bed, rotatable crossheads, an impression cylinder mounted thereof, form inking rollers in the crossheads adapted to cooperate with the type bed as it is orbitally rotated by the crossheads; oscillating levers adjacent the type bed, and bars carried by said levers adapted in one position to throw off impression.

19. In a printing press, an orbitally moving impression cylinder, an internally facing type bed and an internally facing ink distributor plate mounted adjacent the'orbit of the cylinder, said cylinder being adapted to cooperate with the bed, and an inking roller moving with the cylinder with the inking plate. I

20. In a printing press, rotatable crossheads, a plurality of cylinders mounted in the crossheads,

' a plurality of. stationary type beds adjacent the orbit of the cylinders and adapted to be. successively contacted by the cylinders during the orbital movement thereof, form inking rollers moving with thecylinders, and stationary ink discylinders opposite and intermediate the beds..

21. ,Inmechanism as set forth in claim 20,

means whereby the beds may be thrown off im- 4 pression.

22. In a printing press, rotatable crossheads, a plurality of cylinders mounted in the crossheads, a plurality of stationary type beds adjacent the orbit of the cylinders and adapted to be successively contacted by the cylinders during the orbital movement thereof, a plurality of ink distributing means exterior to and adjacent the cylinder orbit, and form inking rollers carried by the g5 crossheads adapted to receive and distribute ink on said means and then apply ink to the beds.

23. In mechanism as set forth in claim 22, means whereby the rollers are caused to distribute ink only on the related portion of the distributing means, and to supply ink only to the related type bed.

24. In a printing press, rotatable crossheads, diametrically opposite impression cylinders mounted in the crossheads, a plurality of stationary type beds adjacent the orbit of the cylinders and adapted to be successively contacted by the cylinders .during the orbital movement moving with the cylinders, and a plurality of ink distributing plates in the orbital path of the cylinders opposite the beds and inking rollers carried by the crossheads adapted to respectively distribute ink on the related plate and apply ink to the related bed.

25. In a printing press, rotatable crossheads, diametrically opposite impression cylinders mounted in the crossheads, a plurality of stationary type beds adjacent the orbit of the cylinders and adapted to be successively contacted by the no cylinders during the orbital movement thereof, form inking rollers moving with the cylinders, a plurality of ink distributing plates in the orv bital path of the cylinders opposite the beds and t inking rollers carried by the crossheads dapted torespectively distribute ink on the rela d plate and apply ink to the related bed, means for feeding sheets to the cylinders in advance of the beds,

and means for taking the sheets from the cylinders after passing the beds; and means for throwing off impression.

\ PAUL F. COX. 

